Abstract

NINO, César  and  PINTO-QUIJANO, Ángela Cristina. Regional criminal integration: approaching the relationship between the Jalisco Cartel New Generation and the Clan del Golfo. Rev. Crim. [online]. 2025, vol.67, n.1, pp.79-95.  Epub Apr 19, 2025. ISSN 1794-3108.  https://doi.org/10.47741/17943108.640.

This article presents an analysis of regional integration by criminals in Latin America, particularly between Mexico’s Jalisco Cartel - New Generation (CJNG) and Colombia’s Clan del Golfo. Although states in the region produce highly militarised security policies due to internal dynamics, they are disintegrated in terms of regional security. Conversely, Latin American criminal groups that produce insecurity and violence are more articulated, and this makes their integration more prosperous than that of the states. Based on a case study focusing on the aforementioned criminal groups between 2016 and 2024, and supported by a literature review, this paper seeks to explain the dynamics of criminal integration between the two groups in the region, using an analytical framework composed of seven characteristics. The research adopted a qualitative methodology with an analytical approach, supported by the use of the MAXQDA data analysis tool. The analysis suggests that in Latin America regional integration is more robust between criminal actors than between states. This is due to three elements: the transaction costs of criminals are lower than those of the states, the region’s states are zealous in their orthodox notion of sovereignty and, finally, irregular actors take advantage of the systemic failures of the regional order. Dynamics are identified that emulate the foreign policy of the states in criminal groups, as well as mechanisms of regional criminal integration to achieve particular interests. In this way, this is a pioneering work that aims to put the concept of regional criminal integration on the academic agenda of global south studies as one of the challenges of international security that goes beyond classical forms, such as weapons of mass destruction, missiles, civil wars or even environmental problems.

Keywords : Regional criminal integration; Clan del Golfo; Jalisco Cartel - New Generation; Latin America.

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